This past year has seen one exciting milestone after another for Quaker Center.

From a gala groundbreaking.... to our first newsletter....to going on the road....to completion of the new directors' house....to preparation for our first intern.... this has been a year of seeing our dreams become reality.

We planned to provide "calm at the center" and the new directors' house now stands as a visible culmination of that plan and the hard work and dedication that brought it to fruition. The groundbreaking ceremony on August 31 was attended by over 100 people and many memories of the history of the center were shared during a moving and eventful afternoon and evening. Construction then began and involved staff in many ways, overseeing and actually completing many of the projects which helped keep the contractor's costs down: digging drainage and access trenches, building retaining walls and hillside steps, and doing finish tile work in the house itself. In spite of the "El Nino" weather pattern the contractor finished in time to allow the Sullivans to move in mid-March. The directors' house then hosted a series of three intimate "housewarming" conversations to bless the house and thank the friends of Quaker Center.

Now we've begun to nurture and develop the "center of the center" as the Manley House is undergoing transformation to create a handicapped accessible public space for visitors with a library/reading area, living accommodations for an intern and an expanded central office to support the operation of the center. Interior remodeling began in April and later in the month a crew from the John Woolman School tackled the job of dismantling and removing the earthquake damaged fireplace and chimney, making way for the new entrance to the intern's apartment.

We've begun to "move out from the center" in ways we envisioned in our long-range planning. Our intern program has been developed and we are in the process of selecting our first Quaker Center intern who will arrive in late August for a year of growth and learning. (The year will start with the annual workcamp where a primary project will be completion of the intern's apartment.) We've also published our first two newsletters, increasing awareness of Center plans and activities throughout the larger Friends' community. And we've taken our first Quaker Center program on the road, with Chris Ravndal's "Centering Prayer" being offered at three sites in Southern California.

During all this change, we've been grateful for the response to our capital campaign, which goes into a second year as we continue our plan to deepen and expand our programs and prepare for future needs. We are almost halfway to our goal of $250,000, with over $110,000 in donations and pledges. The past year we've also received the bounty of a $20,000 grant from the Highfield Foundation as well as over $64,000 from selective logging of the Balovich parcel.

While so much change has happened over the past year, we have continued to maintain the "heart of the center", the programs and retreats which nourish and nurture the Religious Society of Friends and fellow travelers. Our children's programs continue to grow with another successful children's camp as well as a new teen service camp. While most of our programs were well attended, even in programs which had lower than expected attendance, we found an increased quality and depth of spiritual and community-building experience. The variety of our programs attracts a variety of participants: Quaker and non-Quaker, first-timers and regulars, young and old. Our longer programs, such as the Year-End Retreat (which was again full) hold a special richness. We are considering adding additional longer programs in 1999.

Several needed maintenance projects were completed, including lining and reinforcing the fire tank, building a new shed near the Art Center, relocating the playground, replacing the Orchard Lodge septic tank and removing the November mudslide which covered the upper portion of the main entrance road. Fortunately, diligence on the part of the staff in keeping culverts cleared prevented greater damage from the effects of El Nino.

We continue to feel blessed with the wonderful staff who manage to accomplish all the ongoing work of the center as well as planning and overseeing this time of change. Because change means extra work, we temporarily increased the hours of our part-time housekeeper and added a part-time secretary. We have also felt led to provide the staff a deferred compensation plan and to regularly budget funding for attendance at meaningful educational and networking conferences.

It is with a sense of deep gratitude to the Spirit that we reflect upon this past year and thank all of those who have contributed in so many ways to support, maintain and develop this beautiful place of renewal and retreat.

Eve Forrest, Clerk
Ben Lomond Quaker Center Association